PENDLE MP Andrew Stephenson has called for a ‘full, independent inquiry’ into clashes between police and protesters in Lahore that has left eight people dead.

Mr Stephenson was invited to Friday prayers last week at the Jamia Masjid Minhaj-ul-Quran Mosque, in Brunswick Street, Nelson, to talk about the incident.

Violence erupted outside the Minhaj-ul-Quran headquarters in Lahore two weeks ago.

Mr Stephenson said: “I was invited to address Friday prayers to talk about what happened in Lahore this week. I signed a petition outside the mosque ahead of Friday prayers.

“I raised what happened in Lahore in the House of Commons. What happened has had a big impact on the Muslim community in Pendle as two Mosques (Carr Road and Brunswick Street) are run by the Minhaj-ul-Quran organisation.

“In my remarks I expressed my deep concern at what had happened and said I had raised this issue with the Foreign Office as well as writing to the Pakistani High Commissioner in London calling for a full independent inquiry into what happened.”

Speaking in the House of Commons, Mr Stephenson said: “This incident has caused outrage not just across Pakistan but across the Pakistani community living in the UK, so may we have a debate on what happened and on what pressure the UK Government can bring to bear on the Pakistani Government to ensure that a full inquiry is held?”

A judicial inquiry into the events has already been established by the Chief Minister of Punjab.